Love Never Dies
by HiddenKindness
Summary: Kataang. Five years post series. Aang lets down his guard for a split second, with horrifying results.
1. Ambush

**Another one inspired by a dream I had. It seems my favourite fanfictions are all thought up this way. Maybe I should sleep more, heh.**

**Update: It has come to my attention that this story is similar to a chapter in a longer fanfiction (with a name like 'Book 4: Air') I swear that I did not copy this user. It was 100% coincidence. It matched it only with the idea and its eventual outcome. My fanfiction was inspired by a dream, as mentioned before. I'm sorry for any confusion. I had never read the other user's story before, so please don't think I would steal an idea. Thank you. :)**

Please take a few seconds to review and make my day.

Once again, I don't own Avatar.

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><p>A few miles away from Iroh's tea shop, outside of the city walls, there was a great amount of well kept farmland. Many villages ensured that the land was looked after and gave the highest yield of crop in the Earth Kingdom, which of course was something to be proud of.<p>

However, it was what was nearby to the farmland that Aang and Katara liked so much. A huge expanse of untouched woodland had been left to grow. There was very little human intervention to change its habitats or growth patterns, meaning it was home to a great deal of wildlife. Rare insects, birds, even a few koala otters inhabited the narrow river running through the wood. The strong scent of wild flowers was carried through the air by the soft breeze. It was one of the few places Aang and Katara could get away from civilisation without flying for days.

An important meeting had just drawn to a close with the world leaders. Such a gathering had now become annual tradition to keep up the relationships between the nations. Having been directly responsible for bringing the new era of peace to the world, Aang had been summoned to attend. Katara, Sokka, Toph and Suki had done so as well, not only because they helped the war end, but also for Aang's moral support. A few Ozai loyalists remained in the Fire Nation, and Aang thought it better than the whole Gaang was present at such a key event in the years after the war. Zuko was also there, as he had the vital position of Firelord in the Fire Nation.

In was five years after the war, and Katara and Aang were nearing the one year anniversary of their marriage. The meeting had lasted several hours and the day was now drawing to a close. The sun would dip behind the line of the horizon soon, and Aang felt it would be good to shake off the stress of the meeting by taking a walk with Katara in the woods.

"I love hearing the sound of the crickets at this time of day." Katara said, holding her husband's hand tightly as they walked through the lines of ancient trees.

"It'll be dark soon." Aang remarked. He looked up at the dense canopy of trees above them. He spotted a cat owl as it began to hoot its evening call from where it was perched.

Very few sounds broke the near-silence of the wood. Even though only a few miles to the west there was several thousand people in the magnificent city of Ba Sing Se, everything around the couple seemed peaceful. Almost too peaceful, but Aang didn't let that bother him. He blamed his small worries on the high strung meeting.

Katara suggested that they should sit where herself and Aang could watch the sun finally become hidden by the horizon. Aang agreed, and smoothed a particular bumpy area of ground in one of the large clearings using earthbending. They sat in each other's arms for what seemed like a wonderful eternity. The sky had turned almost crimson due to the last of the light of day draining away.

And then, Aang heard something behind them.

Dozens of figures, unseen in the trees that surrounded them. They made so little vibrations, the earthbending vision Aang had learnt from Toph now seemed useless. Unable to tell their true numbers, Aang immediately stood up, gesturing Katara to do the same.

The couple stood and waited for the inevitable attack that soon followed. Seeing a flash of red Aang realised their attackers to be a large number of Red Rebels; Ozai loyalists that heavily resented the Avatar and his friends for bringing the war to an end.

Their movements were so fast and silent any normal person would have mistaken them for spirits, but these were extremely high trained assassins; the best in the business obviously sent to 'get rid' of the Red Rebels' greatest threat. The only thing that went through Aang's head whilst trying to combat them was that they reminded him of Azula, too fast to pin down. He turned to Katara, who had since extracted the water molecules from the air around them and was attempting to capture and restrain a few of the assassins. Her expression turned into one of frustration as each try failed as they escaped from her watery grip.

Aang and Katara ended up completely surrounded, the beautiful sight of the orange sunset behind them forgotten as they fought furiously for their lives. This commotion had lately barely thirty seconds, their foes' extraordinary skills astounding. Aang had of as yet managed to land a blow, and whilst he was preoccupied with a single man throwing handfuls of knives in his direction, a number of others closed in on Katara beside him. With the multiple bending disciplines, Aang was able to ward off close range attack using earthbending as a shield or firebending as an offense. Katara on the other hand was just as confident, but of course lacked the ability to defend and attack at the same time from multiple enemies. Aang tried to defend his wife as best he could by standing back to back with her to minimise chances of one of their foes landing a successful strike, but as the time wore on into the minutes, both Aang and Katara began to succumb to exhaustion. The sheer number of foes in such a small area proved difficult to combat.

The Rebels began to realise they had the upper hand, and instantly became more ferocious in their attacks. A flash of silver, a sharp cry…then the sound of gasping breath. Aang turned in horror to see Katara doubled over. Instincts kicked in and within a second a large earth tent separated the predators from their prey. Aang left the attackers clawing hopelessly at the huge amount of earth which contained the couple inside.

Aang knelt down beside Katara who was now on the floor, wheezing in pain. Aang saw the blood seeping through her pale green robes. It was obvious in the split second Katara had let down her defences a single blade had pierced her body, leaving a stab wound in her stomach, just above her right hip.

"KATARA!" Aang shouted desperately. She didn't reply, only clasped a hand over her stomach and writhed in pain.

Aang knew what he must do. Only one person had the wisdom to help. Aang picked up Katara carefully in his arms, took a step back and stamped his foot on the stone ground forcefully. A large hole formed and created a tunnel…Aang's means of escape.


	2. Emotional Exhaustion

This chapter was actually difficult to write, epecially the ending. I was stuck for ideas...Hopefully it turned out okay.

I don't own Avatar.

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><p>For what seemed like an eternity passed. Every few seconds Aang was pushing the earth from his path deep underground. Speed was key here; he had to get Katara some help as soon as possible, or she might…Aang wasn't going to consider that just yet. He couldn't.<p>

As Katara slipped in and out of consciousness, Aang continued to push the earth around them deeper, lengthening the tunnel. He couldn't tell how far he'd gone, if the attackers had got through the earth tent and followed him and Katara. He figured he had to take the risk. The dust from the earth caused the air to become thin and barely enabled him to breathe. Being an airbender, he could naturally last longer with little air, but Katara was hurt enough already, and she wouldn't last long like this.

He held one hand over her eyes and mouth as a shield from the dust, he performed a powerful kick into the air. The earth above them fell apart and the dark sky became visible. Aang coughed heavily though the clouds of dust as he climbed out from the tunnel with Katara, then unconscious still in his arms.

He realised they had emerged just outside the city walls, not far from Iroh's tea shop. Using the speed he was born with, Aang ran through the city streets, his legs now just a blur.

Darkness had fallen now; the streets were black with very few light sources. Somehow Aang found the tea shop and burst through the doors, beads of sweat and tears running down his cheeks.

"IROH! I NEED YOU!" He bellowed.

The elderly man's kind face popped around the kitchen door. His face dropped as he realised the situation. Springing into action, he helped Aang carry Katara into one of the bedrooms at the back of the shop. Aang looked on in desperation as Iroh inspected her wounds under her blood-soaked robes.

"Is there anything you can do?" Aang asked worriedly, holding Katara's hand tightly.

"All I can do is induce a sleep-like state, to aid her body heal properly." Iroh said. Aang nodded.

"Anything. Just help her." He whispered, his voice hoarse.

Iroh created a small flame in his palm. It was almost lilac in colour as it danced across his hand. Aang hesitated as Iroh held his palm over Katara's eyes. Immediately her heavy breathing calmed, her tense muscles loosened and her pained expression faded. Both Aang and Iroh simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief.

"Now, she must rest." Iroh explained calmly.

"But what if I can get a healer? From the Northern Water Tribe?" Aang babbled.

"Even if you do, they would only be able to heal the initial stab wound…" Iroh said, again lifting Katara's robe from her hip to inspect the injury.

"Something tells me you're holding something back." Aang said sternly.

"…It's not good." Iroh whispered.

"I'm her husband. She's my wife. Please, tell me." Aang said, his eyes welling.

"The blade was coated in something. It's caused a powerful infection." Iroh explained.

"And? Can't that be healed too?" Aang asked desperately. Iroh shook his head whilst Aang continued to stare in hope at Katara's now peaceful form.

"No. Infection is not a true injury that can be healed in the same way. Her body needs to fight it on its own." Iroh whispered wisely. He looked at Katara's face. "But we've given here the best possible chance. Now, we have to wait."

The next few days passed in a blur. Katara didn't move at all. Iroh said this was for the best and gave the greatest chance of survival, but Aang was desperate to see her move, to hear her voice again.

_If only I'd been more observant. I could have seen the knife before it hit her… _Aang scolded himself.

Within a day a Northern Water Tribe healer had rushed over to the tea shop. Luckily they'd been in the city at the time and were able to heal the initial stab wound. The healer, a young woman, probably only a little older than Katara, agreed with Iroh. It was best to allow Katara's body to fight off the spreading infection.

Days passed, possibly even weeks. Aang didn't notice. He hardly slept at all. He just sat at Katara's bedside, hoping, praying to the spirits for the ultimate miracle. The mental torment she was unknowingly putting Aang was indescribable. Every time Aang swore he saw her move, he realised it was just his mind playing with him…conjuring an image of hope, images of Katara's sudden and miraculous recovery.

All Aang found himself doing was talking to his wife, begging her to fight it. Could she hear him? Could she decipher his words through the thick fog of her sleep-like state? Aang couldn't know for sure. He could remember a little of what Katara had said to him when he was in his coma all those years ago.

"Wake up. I need you." She'd say. "I care about you too much to let you go…"

Sokka, Toph, Suki, Hakoda…all had arrived to be at Katara's side for support, yet it was Aang that was constantly there. The others cared beyond words for Katara, and frequently fell asleep by her bedside, but Aang was the one who was the constant. He'd shed the most tears; the majority from sheer and unbelievable guilt for what had happened. Sokka himself had confronted Aang, shouting in his face about how he was so stupid for allowing this to happen, and all Aang could do was agree with him. He understood Sokka's worries. Katara was his little sister and he always took it upon himself to ensure her absolute safety, and Sokka felt he'd failed that promise because of what he thought Aang had caused.

Occasionally, Aang would lift the robe over Katara's right hip and look at the injury he believed he had been the one to cause. He'd stare at her damaged skin around the stab wound and wonder if the injection had spread any further over her body. He'd looked at it for so long he couldn't tell if there was improvement. Her breathing had steadily become laboured and its pattern irregular…Aang had noticed this.

_Why did I have to insist on taking a walk that evening?_

_Why didn't I create the earth tent before the blade hit?_

_Why couldn't I hear them coming and stopped them?_

Aang had slept very little since the attack; barely an hour a night. He wanted to be sure that if she awoke, his would be the first face she'd see. Plus even if he did manage to drift off, his dreams were haunted of vivid images, Katara's screams, and even her death.

When he was thought to have been asleep Aang overheard two nurses talking outside the bedroom door.

"…Do you think she'll make it?"

"It's hard to say. The infection is one of the worst I've come across, but she's young and strong, not to mention have her own healing abilities within her. Her body is at war with itself, and only she can fight it at this time. It's 50/50."

Hearing this, Aang grasped Katara's hand tighter. What if she could hear him? It was worth a try.

"Come on Katara. I need you. The others need you. _Please._" He whispered, tears once again spilling down his cheeks. "I've always loved you. I've loved you since I first saw you. I couldn't stop smiling at you, do you remember? You have been my strength, every step of the way. I can't live without you. If I could trade places with you, I would. A hundred times over and more. I love you so much Katara."

He clung hopelessly at her hand, never wanting to let it go. He brushed a strand of her hair away from her eyes…and noticed a tear running down her face. His eyes widened.

"Nurse! Someone! Anyone!" Aang cried.

Immediately several women rushed into the room to attend to Katara.

"She's crying! She can hear me!" Aang said, his energy replenished, his face full of happiness. The nurse nearest to him checked the wound. He head then bowed as she shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Avatar Aang. She can't hear you." She said softly, placing her hand on his shoulder. He shook it off and stood to be closer to his wife.

"But she's crying! She's reacting to what I said to her!" He continued.

"…No. The infection appears worse. Her body's given up the fight. I'm afraid this…this may be it." She whispered, her eyes welling. Aang's happiness vanished, and contorted to anger.

"You're wrong. You're all wrong! She's stronger than this!" He shouted.

"I'm sorry. Really I am. I'll send for her family. It's time."

Tears streamed down his face. He breathed heavily.

"We'll leave you alone with her. Say your goodbyes." The nurse said, ushering the other nurses out of the room with her, leaving Aang in pure disbelief.

"No." Aang repeated. "No." He sat on the edge of the bed, cradling his wife's head in his arms. "Come _on_ Katara. I believe you can do it. Prove them all wrong." He shook his head in shock. Some of his tears dropped onto his wife's emotionless face, yet her eyes still remained closed, her body stayed unresponsive. Her breathing began to grow weaker. Aang cradled Katara in her arms.

A minute passed, though it seemed so much longer.

Aang stopped crying abruptly. His anger consumed his mind. Deep within his soul, an invisible lock suddenly disintegrated. Aang's tattoos flashed, filling the room with blinding light. He released Katara carefully from his arms, he eyes white with power.

The Avatar State.

Though pure and primal emotion, it had finally been unlocked, several years after it was last triggered by mistake.

"I refuse to say goodbye to you Katara, because you're got going anywhere." The bellowing voice seemed to consist of many voices, overlapped and intertwined…a combination of his past lives. It sounded so wild, so untamed, and yet so desperate.

The nurses had seen the flash of light and heard the voice. The door was flung open, and they stood watching in shock. They shielded their eyes from the debris flying around the room, picked up by a massive gust of wind. They looked on as Aang placed a hand on Katara's forehead. He winced, his eyes showing little or no trace of emotion.

One of the nurses attempted to make their way towards Aang, but was stopped by another, who shook their head.

"Just wait. Maybe, just maybe…" She said.

The wind slowed and halted, the room became settled once again. The blinding light had since faded, leaving only Aang's arrows and eyes glowing slightly above normal. As the seconds ticked on, the nurses waited with baited breaths. They watched as slowly the arrows on Aang's bare feet returned to their blue colour. Then, a few seconds later, the one visible down the back of his neck did also. The arrow on his forehead then regained its normal blue shade. The blue travelled down both of his arms until only the head of the arrow of Aang's hand held over Katara's head kept its glow.

Aang shook as the strain of the power drained him. Finally, he fell to his knees, exhausted and breathing heavily. The Avatar State had vanished once again.

And then, a miracle.

Katara found Aang's hand, and intertwined her fingers with his. Aang looked up in shock.

Her eyes fluttered open and she coughed, her throat sore.

"Katara?" Aang whispered. He began crying again. Using her other hand, Katara wiped away the tears on his face with her thumb. He jumped up and embraced her tightly.

The head nurse smiled. "Come on. Let's give them some time alone." She whispered as she gestured the other nurses to leave. She shut the door behind them.

"I…I knew you'd make it." Aang stuttered, releasing his wife from their embrace.

"All thanks to you." She said hoarsely. Aang sat and stared into her cobalt blue eyes, almost refusing to believe Katara's sudden recovery. He lifted the robe previously covering her wound, and was astounded to see it completely healed. He sighed in relief.

"I'll go and find the others." He said out of the blue, beginning to get up and head to the door. Katara held onto his wrist, causing him to turn around again. She shook her head.

"No. Please. Stay with me. Just for a few minutes. I'm so tired." She said softly. Aang nodded silently and climbed onto the bed, and lay down next to his wife, inhaling her floral scent.

"I feel like I've just been in a war all over again." She whispered.

"You have. And you won." Aang replied with a smile.


	3. Back to normality

Basic Kataang fluff to follow on from the previous chapters. About time.  
><strong>Disclaimer: As if I'd be awesome enough to own Avatar.<strong>

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><p>Katara had been waiting of news from Aang for several days. He had been summoned by the Earth Kingdom council of nobles, leaving Katara at her Southern Water Tribe home to rest after her injuries. In the days following his departure, Katara found her self wandering aimlessly around the house and village, or staring out of her bedroom window at the horizon, in the hope of seeing the comforting sight of a man on his glider.<p>

There had been some minor resistance from those still loyal to Ozai in the Fire Nation, which Aang had been asked to attend a meeting to discuss. He was especially keen on going to find answers about those who ambushed him and Katara a short while ago.

Katara had found that Aang had grown up greatly since the war. Being the Avatar, he found himself extremely busy, as to be expected. However, he always managed to find the time to spend many days with his Katara. "Nothing is more important than you." He'd say often.

Katara began to busy herself with the scrolls concerning her tribe as a distraction from the wait for her husband to return. Her father, Hakoda, had assigned the duty of dealing with the new waterbenders that had migrated from their sister tribe at the other side of the world. There were new building projects that needed to be organised, but Katara couldn't seem to focus. Her mind always seemed to sway to thoughts of Aang. She scolded herself for becoming distracted, but that did little to change her thoughts.

Just as she began to get into the task of writing a reply to a building plan, a sharp screech behind her made her jump suddenly. She stood up from her seated position at her desk, and walked to her windowsill, smiling when she saw the visitor. It was Hawky, Sokka's messenger hawk. The yawn the bird gave out reassured this; Katara had always marvelled at how lazy this bird was. However, the magnificence of his crimson feathers and how they shone in the early morning light always managed to lift her spirits.

Hawky lowered his head, allowing Katara to remove the scroll he was carrying out of the tube attached to his back. As she unrolled it carefully, a small delicate flower fell into the palm of her hand. A panda lily. She smiled to herself as she read the scroll she held in her other hand.

_Missing you._

_Aang_

The handwriting was written beautifully; the calligraphy commonly practiced among the airbenders of old reflected their peaceful nature. Placing the scroll on the surface of her desk, she performed a swift motion with her now free hand, collecting the invisible molecules of water around her and formed a small sphere of crystal blue water. She motioned it into an empty vase and put the lily into it.

She returned to her windowsill where she found Hawky beginning to preen himself. She gestured for him to hop onto her left arm, which he did, and flew out of her open window with an upwards movement of Katara's arm. She turned away once again and picked up the scroll from her desk, and reread it to herself silently several times, again taking in the beauty of Aang's handwriting.

A faint, yet familiar screech broke the silence. Hawky. _He only usually made that noise when he arrives where he's been sent, _she thought to herself. _But that must mean…_

She ran to her window, hitting her side painfully on one of the posts of her bed. She winced as she reached the window, and smiled immediately, forgetting the sharp pain.

In the distance, she could just make out the figure of a young man dressed in long orange robes. The vibrant colour contrasted greatly with the whiteness of the ice. On his arm was a proud looking Hawky, who was enjoying being stroked by Aang.

Katara placed her head in her hand as she lent on the windowsill. Aang seemed to feel her gaze as she looked up from the bird sat on his arm. He smiled back, and mouthed a 'hello'.

Katara clambered awkwardly out of her window and landed somewhat clumsily on the ice. She ran away from the village to where Aang was standing, a wide smile on her face. He braced himself as Katara threw herself into his open arms. For a few seconds they stood, simply enjoying being in each others' embrace. Hawky had taken off into the skies at this moment, presumably returning to Sokka somewhere in the Earth Kingdom.

"I missed you." Katara whispered into Aang's ear. Releasing her from his arms, Aang chuckled and kissed her hand. Always the gentleman.

"You are supposed to be resting. That's why I brought you home." Aang said, a caring tone in his voice. He rested his arms around her waist as he continued to hold her close. Katara flinched a little as he unknowingly pressed the place where Katara had hit the bed post just over a minute previously. _That's gonna bruise. _She thought to herself.

Noticing his wife's grimace he lifted her top robe slightly and uncovered the new injury. He tutted. "How did this happen? It's really close to where you were…" He didn't like to think about it. "…stabbed."

"I got clumsy. I just banged into the side of my bed, that's all." Katara said. "I'll heal it later. Just come on. It's cold out here." She said tenderly, pulling on his arm to walk back towards the village.

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><p>Once among the villagers, Aang greeted Hakoda and the other members of the Southern Water Tribe. Night had fallen and everyone had departed for their homes after the communal dinner. Aang and Katara had been given a temporary home in the Water Tribe. They had a permanent residence at the Southern Air Temple and Katara had been staying at her father's home whilst Aang had been away. However being married meant it was customary for the couple to have their own home. Therefore, Aang had arranged for them to stay in a small yet comfortable ice hut on the outskirts of the over expanding village until Katara was fully recovered, then they would both return to the Southern Air Temple.<p>

"You're tired." Katara remarked as Aang barely managed to stifle a huge yawn.

"I'd been up throughout last night." He replied calmly.

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to get back to you as soon as possible." Aang whispered, kissing his wife on the forehead.

"Time for bed then methinks." Katara chuckled. Aang nodded reluctantly as another yawn escaped from his mouth.

The couple lay awake in bed talking. Just talking. Talking about petty things other couples talked about. At this time of night, all the responsibilities they both held were forgotten temporarily until the morning. As they lay in each other's arms, everything in the outside world was forgotten. Aang's eyes grew heavier by the minute.

"Aang?"

"Hmm?" He replied, his eyes remaining closed.

"Love you."

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><p>I do love that ending. Excuse the bad quality of my writing. I'm still knew to this fanfiction lark. <strong>Please review.<strong> Stay tuned for the next and final chapter: It's my favourite yet! ~ Grey


	4. Ten years on

Okay, here's my favourite and the final installment of this short story. One thing you must know about this chapter, I worte the majority of it before the recent new _Avatar: The Legend of Korra_ information was released with this year's Comic Con. From the new info, we learn that Tenzin was the youngest of Katara and Aang's children. (He also has kids of his own who are all airbenders and so much more awesome stuff) We hardly know anything about Aang's older children. The way I wrote this chapter, Tenzin is the oldest child, so I'm sorry if I cause you confusion. It just seemed too much of a hassle to redo it, even moreso since we don't even know the names of their older children. Ah well.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar.**

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><p>"Firelord Ozai! You and your forefathers have…erm…done bad stuff to the world! Now you must pay the ultimate price!" The slightly squeaky voice boomed. The boy ran across the courtyard towards his 'enemy' at great speed, imitating countless bending gestures.<p>

"Oh no!" Aang shouted in response. "Oh great Avatar Tenzin, you are too powerful!"

"I must take you down with my water whip!" The boy continued, his arms waving as he lunged in the direction of his father.

"Please, oh great Avatar! _Anything_ but that!" Aang shouted. He fell to the ground in an exaggerated fashion and cried out in pain. The boy, presumably around eight years of age, jumped on top of his father, both of them laughing hysterically.

"Avatar Tenzin! You are too strong and good-looking for me! I surrender!" Aang laughed.

"I accept your surrender, Firelord Ozai." Tenzin replied in the best formal tone he could manage. He stood up, placed one foot on his father's chest, and held his head high. "I, Avatar Tenzin, have brought down the all powerful Firelord! Muahahaha!"

"Aha! Never let down your guard my boy!" Aang bellowed as he jumped up and tackled his son playfully. "I attack you with a technique few people can control…" He pronounced menacingly.

"No! Please! Have mercy!" The boy pleaded in the man's arms, struggling to hold back his giggles.

"…TICKLEBENDING!" Aang roared. He grabbed his son and began tickling him, which made him explode into snorts of laughter. As Tenzin squirmed he and his father stumbled ever closer to the narrow stream that ran beside the house.

Katara, who had been sat looking on from the front of the family home for the duration of the airbending practice session turned all out 'war', had a wide smile across her face. She was nearing full-term pregnancy and had preferred to sit and watch the game unfold. With a small and near unnoticeable hand gesture, a rope of water emerged from the stream behind her husband and son. With another flowing motion of her arm, she caused the water to wrap around Aang's ankle, subsequently pulling him into the stream.

Tenzin erupted in laughter at the sight of his father drenched in water and sat on his backside in the stream, yet the smile never left Aang's face. Instead he pointed in Katara's direction and gasped.

"Oh no! The most powerful waterbender has arrived to save the Avatar!" He shouted in false fear.

"That's right Ozai! We're bringing you down!" Tenzin yelled.

Using several rocks dotted across the stream, he hopped from one to another towards his father, still seated in the water. "These stone pillars will give me an advantage!" The boy shouted wisely. He jumped onto top of his father, creating a great splash followed by more infectious laughter.

A few minutes later when the laughter ceased, Tenzin and Aang saw Katara in front of them on the nearby bank. "She doesn't look happy Dad…" Whispered Tenzin in his father's ear.

"I think it's because we're both wet through." He replied in a hushed voice. The pair giggled again.

"Come on you too. Let's get you cleaned up. You're both soaked." Katara said sternly, one hand held on her pregnant belly.

Aang helped Tenzin out of the stream and then followed him towards Katara. She was about to perform the waterbending position needed to extract the water from their clothes but was stopped by Aang.

"Let me. It could hurt you." He said softly, gesturing towards her bump.

"Just because I'm as big as Appa doesn't mean I can't waterbend." She said with a sly smile. Before her husband could argue further the water had been taken from their clothes and returned to the stream. Aang sighed in defeat.

"One, you're still the most beautiful woman who ever lived. Having our baby just means you're even more beautiful. Two, Appa's not fat. That's just his…fur." Aang said.

"Sure it is. I've seen all the fruit you two have been sneaking him between meals." Katara replied. Aang looked at Tenzin and smiled guiltily.

"Speaking of meals, come on Tenzin. Let's go prepare dinner." Aang said, picking up the boy and placing him on his shoulders.

"Way to change the subject!" Katara shouted after them as they skipped towards the house.

"I can't believe I ended up with this stuff as my craving." Katara sighed in annoyance, taking another drink from her cup. Aang laughed as he continued clearing the table from their meal. He put the plates on the kitchen counter and then turned to put his hands on Katara's shoulders.

"Onion and banana juice. You get used to it after a while. Trust me." He said softly. "Wanna try some, Tenzin?"

His son's face wrinkled. "No thanks. Sounds horrible." Tenzin said. Aang shrugged.

"If you've never tried it, how do you know that you don't like it?" Aang asked with a smile.

"Onions and bananas are fine on their own but together they'd taste…icky." Tenzin replied, sticking his tongue out in disgust. Aang stuck out his tongue playfully in response.

Katara had insisted on finishing off clearing the table, but Aang was having none of it. Once he had finished, including washing the plates using waterbending and airbending them dry, he suggested the one thing that Tenzin had been trying to avoid.

"Bedtime." Aang said, ruffling his son's hair. Tenzin huffed.

"But I'm not tired." He argued, barely managing to stifle a yawn.

"That said otherwise." Katara smiled, then yawning herself.

"Heh. Looks like we're all tired." Aang laughed softly. "Come on little guy. Time for bed."

"Only if we go and see Appa on the way." Tenzin said with a mischievous grin. Aang sighed, realising that Appa's stable was in the complete opposite direction than Tenzin's room.

"Fine." Aang agreed. He lifted up his son, giving him a piggyback. The child's head rested comfortably on the firm surface of his father's back, his eyes growing heavier almost immediately. Aang sensed his growing tiredness and smiled. Going to say goodnight to Appa would have to be quick, otherwise the young boy would fall asleep on his father's back long before they even reached Appa's stable.

Katara watched as her husband and son went through the door towards the buildings that housed their loyal friend at night. Aang was a natural at parenthood; caring and patient. Everything a father should be. Katara was so proud of him. Every day she saw the love in his eyes. True, indescribable love and pride for his child.

Katara had always pitied Aang in a way. He had never known the love and security from parents. Yes, he had Gyatso and the other monks, who served as his teachers and carers, but he had never experienced the feeling of utter sanctuary. He had never been shown what a true parent should be like, because he'd never known his biological mother and father. And yet, here he was, having a family and loving his child as if he'd been born to do so.

Resting a hand almost instinctively over her pregnant mass, she felt a slight bump against her hand. The baby was kicking, and would arrive any day now, and Katara found herself completely without fear. She knew Aang would be there every step of the way, once again being the father it seemed he was born to be.

* * *

><p>I love this chapter so much. Hope you did as well. Sorry some of you had to wait so long for an update. I'm so lazy. ;_;<p> 


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